Fierce-Ryder (Fierce Family Series Book 7) Page 4

  “I told you all of this,” she said. “His oldest brother is a surgeon. His next oldest is a professor at Duke. His father is an engineer and owns the firm with his twin brother and his mother is a teacher.”

  “I know. I know. I’m sorry. You said there were more that worked at the firm in his family?”

  She sighed, not wanting to get into this again. Thankfully Tommy was sleeping for the night and she was just on the phone with her mother. She’d thought her mother was calling to give her encouragement, not make her doubt everything again.

  “Multiples run in the family. I suppose I should be thrilled I only had Tommy. Ryder’s father owns the firm with his twin brother and, as I said, two of his cousins work there. Drake is the oldest and Drake’s younger sister, Jade. You checked out the website the same as me. I believe the other Fierce there is Drake’s wife Kara. There is no way it’s a family member, they look nothing alike. Drake has a twin, I know that. I’m not sure what he does and I can’t remember his name. Jade has a twin too, Wyatt. He’s a doctor. An anesthesiologist at Duke. Sam already told me that Wyatt would be on the team for Tommy’s surgery.”

  “Do you think that is wise?”

  “Tommy may be family, but he’s still a stranger to them. I think it’s best as they might be even more determined and focused. I have to do what is right for Tommy and I’m trusting Sam. He’s the only one that has been willing to do this.”

  “And you believe it’s the right thing?” her mother asked. Her parents wanted Tommy well just as much as she did, but they were scared about the surgery that was involved. Hell, so was she, but she wasn’t going to sit back and wait and watch her son getting sicker either. No one knew if this mass was still growing as Tommy’s body grew. She wasn’t taking the chance when she could plan this out now.

  “My gut is telling me it is.”

  “There isn’t much more for us to do than support you.”

  And the next morning she was glad to have everyone’s support in her family and sort of wished they were going with her to Durham. Cody offered, but she’d said no. She didn’t need her brother scowling at everyone there. She knew she was going to be enemy number one and the best way for this to work was to be nice and apologetic. Calm and in control.

  But calm and in control was the last thing she was feeling and hoped to get it all out of her system on the almost four-hour drive there.

  “I’m so excited, Mom. Do you think Ryder will be mad that I brought some toys with me?”

  “No,” she said, looking in the rearview mirror at Tommy in the back. This was his first sleepover anywhere other than his grandparents’ house. “You’re a kid. Kids play with toys.”

  “I know, but I don’t want him to think I’m bored. He said we are meeting the rest of his family today.”

  “Don’t remind me,” she said.

  “You don’t want me to meet them?” Tommy asked quietly.

  Shit. “Of course I do. Mommy is just a little nervous. You know I’m not as outgoing as you are.”

  Tommy giggled in the back. “I like people. You don’t.”

  She snorted. “I like people just fine but not big crowds or attention on me. But this is about you today and getting to meet everyone. Ryder said his family is really excited and can’t wait.”

  “I can’t wait either,” Tommy said, then put his head down to play with his video games again.

  By the time she pulled into the development that Ryder lived in, she was exhausted both mentally and physically. She always hated sitting in the car for long hours. It was just plain boring to her, but she knew there would be more trips like this in her future. And not just for medical appointments either.

  “That’s a nice house,” Tommy said.

  “Yes, it is,” she said back, not surprised. The houses around here were.

  She pulled into the driveway of the one-story modern house that was more than she could ever afford. She did well for herself, but being a single mother with medical expenses for her child took up more of her income than most. That didn’t mean she couldn’t provide a nice life for Tommy and she had been. Just not the life he’d have if he had his father around.

  And that scared her. Would Tommy want things now that she couldn’t provide? She hoped not but couldn’t deal with it right yet either.

  She and Tommy got out of the car together, Ryder opening up the front door and walking out in jeans and a sweatshirt, the wind blowing his hair around. “Let me help you,” he said coming off the front porch.

  She wanted to argue she had it but then bit her tongue. No use being contradictory.

  She popped the trunk to her car and went around back. Ryder grabbed the big bag that had her and Tommy’s clothes in it, she got the smaller bag with their toiletries, and Tommy carried his bookbag with some toys in it.

  “How was the drive?” Ryder asked.

  “Not bad,” she said.

  “Boring,” Tommy said. “That’s why I played video games in the back. Mom doesn’t talk as much as me so I have to occupy myself.”

  Ryder smirked. “I remember that about your mother.”

  She hadn’t expected him to say that. “Some things don’t change.”

  “No,” he said and then turned to walk away. Oh well, not the right thing to say, she supposed.

  When they got in the front door she realized how much nicer his house really was. “It’s so big in here,” Tommy said.

  “It’s very nice. I never asked if you were seeing anyone,” she said. “No problems with me being here? I don’t want to cause any issues.”

  “Not a problem and no issues to cause. You?” he asked. “You said you weren’t married, but dating anyone?”

  “No,” she said. “Who has time?”

  He nodded his head. “Then let me show you around. Feel free to help yourself to anything you want.”

  They walked around the massive open space, passing an office in the front, a formal living room that had a pool table in it. It shouldn’t have surprised her. The back was just one big open area with a large island and four seats, a dining table off to the side and a living room with a fireplace going.

  “Look at that TV,” Tommy said.

  “If you’re going to watch TV,” Ryder said, “might as well make sure it’s a big one to enjoy the sports.”

  “I like sports,” Tommy said.

  “You do? Do you play anything?” Ryder asked.

  “Baseball and basketball. I don’t like soccer. It’s not fun to just run around hoping you get the ball.”

  “I never liked soccer either. To the right is the master bedroom and bath, the left are the guest rooms. Follow me.”

  She was glad he didn’t offer to show her his side of the house. There was no reason to see it even if the devil on her shoulder wanted her to peek at where he slept.

  “Bunk beds,” Tommy squealed when they walked in the first room. “Mom, he has bunk beds. I want to sleep on the top.”

  She looked over at Ryder and felt her smile forming. She was pretty sure Ryder wasn’t the type to have bunk beds in his house, especially not one with a bigger bed on the bottom. The room was blue—Tommy’s favorite color that she’d told Ryder when he asked—and the paint smelled fresh. “You’ve been busy.”

  “I have,” he said.

  “Look at the toys.” Tommy ran over to the other side and started going through the boxes. “Lincoln logs, Legos, and construction sets. I love to build things.”

  Her son was flipping through all the unopened boxes of toys. She wanted to grind her teeth but reminded herself not to. Ryder asked so that there were things here for Tommy and this just proved he planned on having Tommy here more.

  “I love to build things too,” Ryder said.

  “I must get it from you. Do you like to draw? I brought some sketch pads and pencils with me too,” Tommy said.

  “I do like to draw. I do most of it on the computer now. There are some pads and pencils and markers on the desk,” Ryder said
.

  They both turned to look at the desk on the other side and Tommy ran there to check it out. “This was very nice of you.”

  “I’ve been known to be nice,” he said.

  “I guess I don’t remember that about you.”

  He frowned, his midnight eyes turning darker. “Do you really want to go there now?”

  “No,” she said. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. For Tommy’s sake, can we try to get along?”

  “I had planned on it,” he said. “Looks like it’s you that doesn’t want to.”

  5

  Work It Out

  Ryder was doing everything he could to not lose his temper. He rarely did. He was the fun laid back one in the family.

  Well, a lot of them were, but he wasn’t serious about much. His career and his family. That’s it.

  Women...he was all out for fun. Life should be about that.

  He’d taken one woman seriously and she’d kicked his ass to the curb harder than a punter being charged by four-hundred-pound linemen.

  “I’m sorry again,” she said.

  He had to fight his feelings seeing Marissa again. He never expected to want to hug her when she opened up the door. He should want to walk away but found that the past few nights they’d been talking on the phone while he learned everything he could about his son, that he was sliding back into wanting to spend time with her.

  He hadn’t thought she’d make that shot at him when they’d been peaceful for the past few days either.

  Had he been shocked to know his name was on Tommy’s birth certificate? Shit yeah. When he asked why it was but she didn’t tell him before now, she had no answer. Or she didn’t want to tell him.

  There was no reason to push at this point. They’d agreed to get along for Tommy’s sake and he wanted to learn everything he could about the son he didn’t know he had.

  He’d spent all day Wednesday getting Tommy on his medical insurance, then seeing his lawyer. They’d have to talk about that at some point too.

  “There’s another room next to this,” he said. “The bathroom is in the middle.”

  The three of them walked out and she popped her head into the bathroom. She put her smaller bag down in there and then moved to the end of the hall where the other bedroom was. There was a queen size bed against the wall, his treadmill and weights at the other end.

  “The rooms are big here,” she said.

  “They are. I had the exercise equipment in Tommy’s room but moved everything in here. I figured you might want to stay with him, but you are more than welcome to stay in this room.”

  “You’re right. I think it’d be best for us to stay in the same room.”

  He nodded his head. Tommy had turned and gone back to his room, he noticed. “Did I buy the right things?”

  “I think you know the answer to that since I can hear him in there moving stuff around again. It’s like Christmas for him now.”

  “And you don’t like that?” he asked, lifting one eyebrow.

  “It’s not my place to say it. You’ve got a right to do those things if you want.”

  “Rights I didn’t know I had before.”

  She sighed. “No. I’m going out on a limb you’ve seen a lawyer already.”

  “Of course,” he said. “Do we want to talk about this now?”

  “Not really, but I need to know if you are going to try to take Tommy from me.”

  He was shocked she’d think that. “No. I wouldn’t do that. He seems like a happy kid. He seems very well adjusted. I want to spend time with him and make up for what I missed, but I wouldn’t take him from you. I won’t do anything at all until the surgery is done, but I want visitations. I’d like to think we could be mature about this and do what is best for Tommy.”

  Her eyes started to fill. The woman who didn’t show a lot of emotions in the past seemed to be overrun with them since she reentered his life. “Yes. We can work it out. I’ve kept him from you long enough. He’s excited to know who his father is. He’s talked about you for days and I couldn’t tell him much as I didn’t know you long. He might make your ears bleed while he is here.”

  “Bring it on,” he said. He pulled a check out of his pocket. He hadn’t planned on doing this right now, but since they were alone, he had to get it off his chest. “Here. Just to start. We need to work other things out and calculate what is owed to you, but I wanted you to have something right away.”

  “I’m not asking for anything,” she said, pushing the check back to him. “I don’t need it.”

  “Take it for Tommy. Don’t turn this away. I don’t care if it all goes in a trust fund for him. A college fund. An investment fund. That’s your job right? I’m sure you can find a use for the money even if you don’t want it.”

  “You’re right.”

  She took it out of his hand but didn’t open it up. “You’re not going to look at it?”

  “I’m afraid to. I’m afraid of a lot of things. I do well for us. We are just middle class and fine, but you, you’re so much more. You’ve got so much that I can’t offer him.”

  “And you’re afraid he’s going to want that?” he asked.

  “He’s a kid. They don’t always know what they want.”

  “I’m not going to take him from you,” he said. “I’ll admit my first reaction was to go for joint custody, but we live too far away. He’s got friends and school there. I can’t uproot his life and I can’t nor will I relocate at this point in my life.”

  “I understand that.” She opened up the check and her jaw dropped. “This is too much.”

  The check for fifty thousand wasn’t nearly what he owed her for almost nine years of his son’s life. “You are due much more and you know it. Consider it a lump sum upfront. I’m sure you’ve got medical expenses and so on. I’ll take care of everything on that front going forward. Just pass the bills on to me.”

  “No,” she said.

  “Yes,” he said. “Don’t argue with me. I can’t believe out of everything going on this is what you want to fight me over.”

  “I don’t like to be dependent on anyone.”

  “So I remember,” he said, trying not to get pissed. Hadn’t she fought him years ago when he wanted to help her find a job closer to him? Nope, she’d said. She was doing it on her own. Well, he found out exactly what she meant by that.

  “Mom,” Tommy yelled, then they heard his footsteps coming down the hall. “Can I have some milk?”

  “Yes,” Ryder said before she could answer. “Let me show you where everything is in the kitchen so you can help yourself.”

  They left the room and moved back to the main part of the house. “This is a beautiful kitchen. Nothing like I expected. Do you cook?”

  “I do. I enjoy it,” he said.

  “Mom loves to cook too. She makes me try one new thing a week. Even if I don’t like it, I’ve got to at least try a bite of it.”

  Interesting. “That’s a good idea. My mother used to do things like that. Not once a week, but she was always trying new foods. My sister-in-law owns a deli slash bakery. She bakes like a dream. I’ve convinced her to give me recipes.”

  Marissa laughed. “Sam’s wife?”

  “No. Sam’s wife, Dani, owns her own hair salon. Payton, that’s Bryce’s wife. She’s got the deli.”

  “Guess I need to learn a lot of names and things about your family.”

  “It will take time,” he said. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a cup, then the fridge and got the milk.

  “You’ve got a lot of food in there,” Tommy said.

  “I do. Are you hungry?” It was just a little after ten. “My mother plans on having a lot of food there. She’ll put out snacks, but Payton is bringing all the sandwiches and salads and cookies.”

  “Cookies?” Tommy said. “I love cookies.”

  He handed over the glass of milk. “He does,” Marissa said. “I’ll have to watch him or he’d eat a whole tray.”

  “Sounds
like me,” he said to his son. “I like cookies too. Can I get you anything now?”

  Tommy looked at his mother and she looked at him. He wished he knew what was going on, but she finally said, “He’s hungry. He’s always hungry, but he isn’t sure what he can have. That’s what’s going on.”

  “I guess I have to learn that language you’ve got. Open up the pantry,” he said, moving over and pointing to the door. “Help yourself to anything you see in the kitchen. There is fruit in the bowl and stuff in the fridge.”

  He’d gone to the store and tried to buy a variety of things, wanting them both to feel comfortable. “Can I have yogurt? I saw it in there.”

  Yogurt over cookies. Milk over soda. The kid was asking for the healthier stuff. “Of course you can. Get the one you want.”

  Tommy opened the fridge and grabbed a container of strawberry and Ryder put it on the island while Tommy sat. When he turned around, Marissa was over in front of his fireplace looking at the pictures of his family there.

  “Can you tell me who is who so I’ve got an idea?” she asked. “This must be your parents.”

  “My mother and father, Grant and Diane Fierce. You know Sam and that is his wife, Dani. Bryce and Payton here.” He had their wedding pictures up, then one family picture from when Ryder graduated from college. Him in his cap and gown. The last of the group to finish.

  “So this has to be your father’s twin and his family?”

  “My uncle Garrett and Aunt Carolyn.” He went down the line and pointed out pictures of his cousins and their significant others. Some were just snapshots in collages. He liked to be surrounded by his family. He liked to be surrounded by people in general.

  “I’ve got some more pictures for you if you want.”

  “I do,” he said. “I put a few of Tommy in my room.”

  “You did?” she asked looking stunned.

  “You sent me some from your phone and I had them printed but none that would print out big enough to put on my fireplace. I’m sure my mother will be snapping all sorts of pictures with her camera today so I’ll get some for the fireplace.”

  “Hang on,” she said and walked away from him. He turned to see Tommy gobbling up his yogurt and drinking his milk. The kid was tall and thin just like Ryder was at that age. Just like most of the men were in the family. And he had an appetite to match for sure.